Sewing Machines

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My sewing machine just died! ;-( I had a Pfaff 1475 for 25 years and it served me well. I didn't start quilting until about 7 years ago, and used that machine to do all of my quilting. It served me well. Now I'm looking for a new machine, and I'd like to really upgrade. Would love one that I can quilt on (straight stitching, free motion preferably with a stitch regulator) and since I'm upgrading, I'd like one that can do embroidery as well. Would love to find out what others are using and how they like it. Thanks!

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Depending on what your budget is will make the difference in what you buy. Most machines are very alike. I have a Pfaff 2170 - not the top of the line machine anymore but was when I bought it. It has a beautiful stitch and fantastic embroidery. I do not know about the Pfaff Creative Vision - I also have a straight embroidery Brother that is very nice... but for an overall machine I use my Pfaff.

For quilting, I can use my Pfaff but the throat area on it is only 6" so I use a Janome 6500 which gives me 9.5"... it is a less expensive machine then the Viking, Pfaff or Bernina and a nice machine.

Hi Sue, I have a Bernina 730 and I love it. It is the "old" 7 series, not the one that Bernina just introduced. It has a BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) and does machine embroidery. There is a bunch of different stitches and is very easy to use. I have told myself, however, that for my 60th birthday, I am going to trade in the 730 and get an 830 (also Bernina) as that is the "ultimate" machine.

i am not in the market for a sewing machine, but in a heart beat i will get another designer 1 for back up. i am always looking for a used one. you can find them occasionally for under $500 used. we just missed one with all the whistles and bells and the embroidery unit for $250. new, i paid $3500, 15 years ago. there is a place you can go to see how many hours it has been used. it is a wonderful machine. take notes on what everyone likes about their machines to decide what you want, and hunt out the used market. i'm not sure i would buy another new machine. they are so expensive. lots of ladies like the newsest bestest and trade in perfectly good machines to have a new one. there are a lot of good used machines out there.

Hi Rob. Thanks for your reply. I saw those Bernina machines and they look awesome! Haven't really gone to "test drive" any yet, but that is one I am considering. I am also going to look at the Baby Lock Ellisimo Gold. A friend of mine has a Baby Lock and loves it.

I saw those Bernina machines and they look awesome! Haven't really gone to "test drive" any yet, but that is one I am considering. I am also going to look at the Baby Lock Ellisimo Gold. A friend of mine has a Baby Lock and loves it.

Sue, I have one of the new Bernina 830LE's and I do love it, but it is pricey! I managed to snag a demo machine with minimal use for about a $2000 discount. I have heard the newest Bernina (the updated 730) is also a great machine, but I haven't seen it in person. If you can afford a Bernina, I do think they have the best stitch quality around and they are a solid machine with metal parts where a lot of machines now-days are mostly plastic. I did have the chance recently to use a Brother Quattro embroidery machine and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the machine...at least from what I saw.

As has been said here before, make a list of your "must have's" and "would likes" and take test drives on lots of different machines and take notes. Buy the best machine you can afford but be sure you have a dependable dealer and service department available to you. Talk to other machine owners to see how they like the service department! That alone is probably the most important thing and worth a great deal!!! A great machine without a great service dept. is not a good deal!

Sue I have a Janome 6600 and I love my machine , I also have a Husqvarna Topaz which is an embroidery machine. someday I'll learn how to use it ..LOL I have used the machine for just reg stitching but not embroidery yet.

You use a stitch regulator when you drop the feed dog and do free motion stitching. The stitch regulator makes all your stitches the same length, no matter how fast or slow you go. My last machine didn't have it, and I just haven't gotten good enough to make all my free motion stitches the same length. It seems like a real nice feature.